In our last chapter we
contemplated Davidís anointing; in our present study an entirely different
experience in his varied career is before us. The two halves of 1 Samuel 16
present a series of striking contrasts. In the former, we behold David
called to occupy the throne, in the latter he is seen entering the place of
service. There we see the Spirit of the Lord coming upon David (v. 13), here
we behold the Spirit of the Lord departing from Saul (v. 14). In the one
David is anointed with the holy oil (v. 13), in the other Saul is troubled
with an evil spirit (v. 14). Samuel was "mourning" (v. 1), Saul is
"refreshed" (v. 23). Samuel approached Jesse with an heifer for
sacrifice (v. 2), Jesse sends David to Saul with bread, wine, and a kid for
feasting (v. 20). David was acceptable in Godís sight (v. 12), here he
found favor in Saulís eyes (v. 22). Before he was tending the sheep (v.
11), now he is playing the harp in the palace (v. 23).

God did not set David
upon the throne immediately: after his "anointing" came a season
of testing. The coming of the Spirit upon him was followed by his having to
face the great enemy. Thus it was with Davidís Son and Lord, the One whom,
in so many respects, he foreshadowed. After the descent of the Holy Spirit
upon Him at His baptism, Christ was tempted of the devil for forty days. So
here: the next thing we read of is Davidís being sent to calm Saul who was
terrified by an evil spirit, and shortly after that he goes forth to meet
Goliathófigure of Satan. The principle which is here illustrated is one
that we do well to take to heart: patience has to be tested, humility
manifested, faith strengthened, before we are ready to enter into Godís
best for us; we must use rightly what God has given us, if we desire Him to
give us more.

"But the Spirit of
the Lord departed From Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled
him" (1 Sam. 16: 14). Exceedingly solemn is this, the more so when we
consider that which precedes it. In 1 Samuel 15:1-3 the Lord, had, through
Samuel, given a definite commission unto Saul to "utterly destroy
Amalek, and all that they had." Instead of so doing, he compromised:
"But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of
the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and
would not utterly destroy them" (1 Sam. 15:9). When faced by Godís
faithful prophet, the kingís excuse was "the people spared the best
of the sheep and the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord" (v. 15). Then it
was that Samuel said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and in sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of
rams" (v. 22).

Saul had openly defied
the Lord by deliberately disobeying His plain commandment. Wherefore the
prophet said unto him, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and
stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the
word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king" (v. 23).
And now we come to the dreadful sequel. "The Spirit of the Lord
departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him."
Having forsaken God, God forsook him. Rightly did Matthew Henry say upon
this verse: "They that drive the good Spirit away from them, do of
course become a prey to the evil spirit. If God and His grace do not rule
us, sin and Satan will have possession of us."

"But the Spirit of
the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled
him." Great care needs to be taken against our reading into these words
what is really not in them, otherwise we shall make one part of Scripture
contradict another. The Holy Spirit had never been given to Saul as the
Spirit of regeneration and sanctification: but He had been given to him as a
Spirit of prophecy (see 1 Sam. 10:10 and contrast 1 Sam. 28:6), and as a
Spirit of wisdom for temporal rule, thus fitting him for the discharge of
his royal duties, In like manner, when we read that "God gave him
another heart" (1 Sam. 10:9), this must not be confounded with "a
new heart" (Ezek. 36:26)óthe "another heart" was not in a
moral and spiritual sense, but only in a way of wisdom for civil government,
prudence to rule, courage to fight against his enemies, fortitude against
difficulties and discouragements.

It is a serious mistake
to suppose that because the Holy Spirit has not come as the Spirit of
regeneration and sanctification unto many professors, that therefore He has
not come to them at all. Many are "made partakers of the Holy
Spirit" as the Spirit of "enlightenment" (Heb. 6:4), of
spiritual aspirations (Num. 24:2; 23:10 etc.), of deliverance from the
"pollutions of the world" (2 Pet. 2:20), who are never brought
from death unto life. There are common operations of the Spirit as well as
special, and it behooves all of us to seriously and diligently examine our
hearts and lives for the purpose of discovering whether or not the Holy
Spirit indwells us as a Sanctifier, subduing the flesh,
delivering from worldliness, and conforming to the image of Christ.
"When men grieve and quench the Spirit by willful sin, He departs, and
will not strive" (Matthew Henry).

The servants of Saul
were uneasy over the kingís condition, realizing that an evil spirit from
God was tormenting him. They therefore suggested that a man who had skill in
playing the harp should be sought out, saying, "And it shall come to
pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with
his hand, and thou shalt be well" (1 Sam. 16:16). Such is the best
counsel which poor worldlings have to offer unto those in trouble. As
Matthew Henry says, "How much better friends had they been to him, if
they had advised him, since the evil spirit was from the Lord, to make his
peace with God by true repentance, to send for Samuel to pray with him, and
intercede with God for him; then might he not only have had some present
relief, but the good Spirit would have returned."

How many whose
consciences have convicted them of their careless, sinful, Godless ways, and
who have been startled by the presence of an eternity in Hell, have been
ruined forever by following a course of drowning the concerns of the soul by
regaling and delighting the senses of the body, "Eat, drink, and be
merry" is the motto of the world, and every effort is made to stifle
all anxiety about the near prospect of a time arriving when instead of being
able to go on so doing, not even a drop of water will be available to ease
their unbearable sufferings. Let younger readers seriously ponder this.
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in
the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight
of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will surely
bring thee into judgment" (Eccl. 11:9).

The suggestion made by
his servants appealed to Saul, and he gave his consent. Accordingly one of
them told him, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite,
that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and
prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him" (1
Sam. 16:18). A high character is here accorded David, as one well fitted for
the strange part he was to play. Not only was his person suited for the
court, not only was he skilled upon the harp, but he was known for his
courage and wisdom. The terming of him "a mighty valiant man"
intimates that his single-handed victory over the lion and the bear (1 Sam.
17:37) had already been noised abroad. Finally, it was known that "the
Lord is with him." How this illustrates and demonstrates the fact that
one who has received the Spirit as the Spirit of regeneration and
sanctification gives dear evidence of it to others! Where a miracle of grace
has been wrought in the heart, the fruits of it will soon be unmistakably
manifested to all around. Very searching is this. Can those with whom we
come into daily contact see that "the Lord is with" the
writer and the reader? O to let our light "so shine before men,
that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in
heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

"Wherefore Saul
sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with
the sheep" (1 Sam. 16:19). Little did Saul think that in giving this
order he was inviting to his palace the very one of whom Samuel had said,
"The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath
given it to a neighbor of thine, better than thou" (1 Sam. 15:28)! How
marvelously does God, working behind the scenes, bring His own purpose to
pass! Verily "manís goings are of the Lord," and well may we say
"how can a man then understand his own way?" (Prov. 20:24). Yet
while we are quite incapable of analyzing either the philosophy or
psychology of it, let us admire and stand in awe before Him of whom it is
written, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to
whom be glory forever, Amen" (Rom. 11:36).

"Wherefore Saul
sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with
the sheep" (1 Sam. 16:19). What a testing for David was this! He
who had been anointed unto an office wherein he would command and rule over
others, was now called on to serve. Lovely is it to mark his response: there
was no unwillingness, no delay. He promptly complied with his fatherís
wishes. It was also a testing of his courage: Might not Saul have learned
his secret, and now have designs upon his life? Might not this invitation to
the palace cover a subtle plot to destroy him; Ah, "the angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them,"
and where God is truly feared, the fear of man disappears.

"And Jesse took an
ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by
David his son, unto Saul" (v. 20). What a beautiful typical picture is
here presented to us. It was the dire need of poor Saul which moved Jesse to
send forth his anointed son: so it was a world lying in sin unto which the
Father sent His Beloved. Behold David richly laden with presents for the
king: Jesse sent him forth not with weapons of warfare in his hands, but
with the tokens of his good will. So the Father sent forth His Son "not
to condemn the world" (John 3:17), but on an errand of grace and mercy
unto it.

"And David came to
Saul." Yes, at his fatherís bidding he freely left his home: though
the anointing oil was upon him, he went forth not to be ministered unto, but
to minister. How blessedly this foreshadowed Him of whom it is written,
"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as
a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death" (Phil.
2:6-8). )O that writer and reader may be so filled with His Spirit, that not
only shall we unmurmuringly, but joyfully, perform our Fatherís bidding.

"And David came to
Saul." Admire again the wondrous working of God. David had been called
to reign over Israel, but the time had not yet arrived for him to occupy the
throne. An unsophisticated shepherd-boy needed training. Observe then how
the providence of God ordered it that for a season he should dwell in the
royal court, thus having full opportunity to note its ways, observe its
corruptions, and discover its needs. And mark it well, this was brought
about without any scheming or effort either on his own part or of
that of his friends. An evil spirit from the Lord troubled the king: his
courtiers were exercised, and proposed a plan to him: their plan met with
Saulís approval: David was mentioned as the one who should be sent for:
the king assented, Jesse raised no demurs, David was made willing; and thus,
working secretly but surely, Godís purpose was accomplished. It is only
the eye of faith that looks above the ordinary happenings of daily life and
sees the divine hand ordering and shaping them for the accomplishment of Godís
counsels and the good of His people.

An important principle
is here illustrated: when God has designed that any Christian should enter His
service, His providence concurs with His grace to prepare and qualify
him for it, and often it is by means of Godís providences that the
discerning heart perceives the divine will. God opened the door into the
palace without David having to force or even so much as knock upon it. When we
assume the initiative, take things into our own hands, and attempt to
hew a path for ourselves, we are acting in the energy of the flesh.
"Commit thy way unto the Lord: trust also in Him, and He shall bring it
to pass . . . Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Ps.
37:5-7). Obedience to these exhortations is not easy to flesh and blood, yet
they must be complied with if we are not to miss Godís best. The more we
appropriate and act upon such divine precepts, the more clearly will the
hand of God be seen when it intervenes on our behalf: the feverish
activities of natural zeal only raise a cloud of dust which conceals from us
the beauties of divine providence.

"And David came to
Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his
armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand
before me; for he hath found favour in my sight" (vv. 21, 22). Here too
we may perceive and admire the secret workings of God s providence.
"The kingís heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water:
He turneth it whithersoever He will" (Prov. 21:1). It was the
divine purpose, and For Davidís good, that he should spend a season at the
court; therefore did the Lord incline Saulís heart toward him. How often
we lose sight of this fact. How apt we are to attribute the favor and
kindness of people toward us to any thing rather than to the Lord! O my
reader, if God has given you favor in the eyes of your congregation, or your
employer, or your customers, give Him the glory and the thanks for it.

"And it came to
pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp,
and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil
spirit departed from him" (v. 23). Here we see the readiness of David
to perform every task which God allotted him. In this he evidenced his moral
fitness for the important role he was yet to fill. "Thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things"
(Matthew 25:21), expresses an important principle in the government of God,
and one which we do well to take to heart. If I am careless in fulfilling my
duties as a Sunday school teacher, I must not be surprised if God never
calls me to the ministry. And if I am unfaithful in teaching and
disciplining my own children, I must not be surprised if God withholds His
power and blessing when I seek to teach the children of others.

The power of Davidís
harp to quiet the spirit of Saul and to drive away temporarily the demon,
ought not to be attributed either to the skill of the player or to the charm
of music. Instead, it must be ascribed alone to the Lord, who was pleased to
bless this means to these ends. The instrument, be it weak or strong,
likely or unlikely, is utterly powerless in and of itself. Paul may plant
and Apollos may water, but there will be no increase unless God gives it.
In view of chapter 17:55, 56 some have concluded that what has been
before us in the closing verses of chapter 16 is placed out of its
chronological order. But there is no need to resort to such a supposition.
Moreover, chapter 17:15 plainly refutes it. How long David remained in the
palace we know not, but probably for quite some time; after which he
returned again unto his humbler duties in the sheepfold.